The RealReal tightens defenses to block AI agents from holding items

In short: The RealReal says it has changed its anti-bot system to make it harder for AI shopping agents to log in, add items to carts, and check out.

What happened

The RealReal, an online store that sells secondhand luxury fashion, said it is updating its “bot defense” system. A bot is a program that can act like a person on a website, such as clicking buttons and filling in forms.

The update comes after The Verge reported a problem with The RealReal’s hold feature. When a shopper adds an item to their cart, that item is placed “on hold” for 20 minutes, meaning other people cannot buy it during that time.

In the report, The Verge used Meta’s Muse, an AI agent (a kind of AI helper that can do tasks on websites), to keep re-adding the same item to a cart the moment the 20-minute hold ended. This made it possible to block other shoppers from buying certain items for hours, like keeping a spot in line by repeatedly stepping back in front.

The RealReal’s chief technology officer, Luke Friang, said the company has addressed the specific Muse situation flagged in the story. He said the site’s bot defenses now make it much more difficult for agents to log in, add items to carts, and complete purchases. He added that agents may still be able to show users listings and send them to product pages.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to The Verge.

Why it matters

This is an early example of how AI assistants that shop for people can create new fairness issues online. If a tool can “camp” on an item nonstop, regular shoppers may never get a real chance to buy it, and retailers will likely keep changing their rules to catch up.

Source: The Verge AI